I am conflicted.
One the one hand, I can’t wait to talk about the different cultural perceptions of time, which should be the next topic in our Go to Culture School series. But, on the other hand, I can’t stop thinking about power distance and education.
As I was driving to work today, I started thinking about office hours. What cultures have them, and what cultures don’t. And, most importantly, why they are so common in some cultures, but not in others.
We don’t have them in Romania. So, now I am thinking: how did I ever talk to my college professors?
For a few minutes, after class, if necessary. If I needed more time with them, I probably asked them what time it would be convenient for me to stop by their office. Sort of like an impromptu appointment.
But we never had regular meetings to discuss performance, plans for the future, personal things etc. I did not have an advisor either, at least not one that was officially my advisor.
I liked this one professor, and I kept going back to her. With questions that were strictly related to my studies (no personal stuff). But I can’t say that she was my advisor. She was just my favorite professor.
photo by Chris Blakeley
In the U.S. it was different.
Then I came to the U.S., and taught undergraduate students at Indiana University, Bloomington. It was then that I was introduced to “office hours.”
For those of you who might not be familiar with this concept, “office hours” are certain times of the week when a professor/teacher is available for a more informal “chat” with students in their office.
In the U.S., the chat can be about anything: from school performance, to future goals, to more personal issues. Students can either make an appointment to talk to the teacher during office hours, or they can just show up, knock on the office door, and, unless the professor is busy talking to somebody else, walk right in.
If you ever lived in the U.S., you know that “walk-ins” are generally not acceptable. When they are acceptable, you will usually see a sign that says so (e.g. I sometimes see the “walk-ins welcome” sign outside hair cut places – are they called salons?).
Does this make “office hours” the school/university alternative to the “walk-ins welcome” signs? Maybe so. But I am digressing.
What do “office hours” have to do with power distance?
Here are a few questions to think about as we ponder on the connection between power distance and office hours:
- Are office hours more likely in high power distance countries, or low power distance?
- If office hours exist in both high power cultures, as well as low-power cultures, are they different? How? I am mainly thinking of frequency of office hours/week, length of office hours, location of office hours – always in an office? -, office hours conversation topics, etc.
Interesting, isn’t it?More to come on this topic next week.
In the meantime, drop us a note with your thoughts and reflections on office hours and culture.
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